@%^\--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
#¶@%^\--¨¨ ¨¨--\^%@¶#
##¶@%^\--¨ ¨--\^%@¶##
#¶@%^\--¨¨ ¨¨--\^%@¶#
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ winds esker ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ ---------------------------------------- ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ there was this place that for two years ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ i couldn't go to. regardless how much ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ discussed with others, or pointed out ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ on maps, i could not think of it when ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ alone. i would often travel past the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ fork, where a right turn would surely ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ take me there, but even then, something ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ kept me away. ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ when i finally got there, after some ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
#¶@%^\--¨¨ heavy subconscious battle i must ¨¨--\^%@¶#
##¶@%^\--¨ assume, the place was surreal. an ¨--\^%@¶##
#¶@%^\--¨¨ esker, like a needle-thin rift out in ¨¨--\^%@¶#
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ the lake, but ten meters high and ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ adorned in birch, willow, bracken, and ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ blueberries. ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ walking atop that spine, i came to ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ notice the view to either side. there ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ should be shores, of course, but i ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ didn't recognize them. first off, they ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ were much too close, as the lake should ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ stretch for a hundred meters more on ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ both sides. but now i felt i could ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ almost reach out and touch them. and ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ then, when i realized which shores they ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
#¶@%^\--¨¨ were, i had to stop. ¨¨--\^%@¶#
##¶@%^\--¨ ¨--\^%@¶##
#¶@%^\--¨¨ they were of the right lake. but this ¨¨--\^%@¶#
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ lake is large, fractured, and ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ bipartite. like a pair of lungs carved ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ into the granite, and with no less than ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ five communities anchored at various ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ points. and so, studying these ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ impossibly close shores, i slowly ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ understood them as belonging many miles ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ away. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ i examined the ridge, the treeline ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ above. was this what you saw opposite, ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ from those other shores? i couldn't ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ remember. ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
#¶@%^\--¨¨ ¨¨--\^%@¶#
##¶@%^\--¨ carrying forward, on the very tip of ¨--\^%@¶##
#¶@%^\--¨¨ the esker, i found the ruins of some ¨¨--\^%@¶#
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ old building. there were overgrown ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ marble staircases, stone floors beneath ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ the moss, and strange slabs inserted ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ into the slope like dams against the ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ground itself. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ sitting there, i could see across the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ narrowed lake my entire path to where i ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ sat: from the stairwell of my house, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ through the old woods behind the tile ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ factory, the bridge over route ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ twenty three and then back under it, ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ through the fancy villas, over the ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
#¶@%^\--¨¨ fields, and then that right turn at the ¨¨--\^%@¶#
##¶@%^\--¨ fork. ¨--\^%@¶##
#¶@%^\--¨¨ ¨¨--\^%@¶#
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ and then the stairs up on the ridge. ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ thinking back, this was probably it. ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ hidden in a grove, there were stairs ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ much like the ones i currently sat on, ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ old and worn down, that lead you up ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ onto the esker. the point of entry. had ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ i insted opted to walk the path at its ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ foot, i'm sure my experience would've ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ been different indeed. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ ---------------------------------------- ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ on the lake, there were people in ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
#¶@%^\--¨¨ boats. i wondered, could they even see ¨¨--\^%@¶#
##¶@%^\--¨ me? if i shouted, would they turn to ¨--\^%@¶##
#¶@%^\--¨¨ stare right through me? ¨¨--\^%@¶#
¶@%^\--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--\^%@¶
@%^\--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--\^%@
%^\--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--\^%
^\--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--\^
\--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--\